Radiator construction

ABSTRACT

A radiator construction adapted for use with a water cooled internal combustion engine and comprising a first relatively flexible conduit communicable at one end thereof with a drain outlet provided at the lower end of the radiator, the conduit having a manually actuatable pet cock valve or the like on the opposite end thereof adapted to be opened so that the conduit may be directed toward a suitable receptacle adapted to receive the contents of the radiator; a second relatively flexible conduit communicable with the upper end of the radiator and being provided with a manually actuatable relief valve and a pressure gauge, the relief valve being adapted to be opened when the internal pressure in the radiator, as indicated by the gauge, is in excess of a predetermined magnitude so as to relieve the pressure of the radiator and thereby prevent injury to a person subsequently opening or removing the radiator cap on the radiator.

I United States Patent 1151 3,653,430 Kinast 1451 Apr. 4, 1972 54] RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION 2,188,245 1/1940 Middleton ..123/41.55 x 72] Inventor: Leonard L. Kinast, 31437 Brown, Garden 33262; 3413;: t al i 1 355 36 y 48135 1,523,750 1/1925 Buellesbach... ...l37/615 x [22] Filed: Apr. 8, 1969 3,103,947 9/1963 Mueller ..137/615 X [21] Appl' 814379 Primary Examiner-Albert W. Davis, Jr.

Attorney-Harness, Dickey 8!, Pierce [52] U.S.CI. ..165/11,|23/41.l4.l23/41.15,

137/579, 137/615, 165/51, 165/71, 165/134 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl ..F0lp 11/02 58 Field 01 Search ..123/41.14, 41.15, 41.27, 41.54; f a Water P' 137/557 236/92, [65/11 71 134 51 107 internal combustion engme and comprising a first relatively 220/55 5 222/529 flexible conduit communicable at one end thereof with a drain outlet provided at the lower end of the radiator, the conduit having a manually actuatable pet cock valve or the like on the [56] References Cited opposite end thereof adapted to be opened so that the conduit UNITED STATES PATENTS may be directed toward a suitable receptacle adapted to receive the contents of the radiator; a second relatively flexi- Renouf ble conduit communicable the upper end of the radiator 136451338 10/1927 123/4114 and being provided with a manually actuatable relief valve and 1,646,070 10/1927 Sm'th 123/ 41-14 X a pressure gauge, the relief valve being adapted to be opened 1,764,642 6/1930 P 01k et 222/529 X when the internal pressure in the radiator, as indicated by the 2,093,599 9/1937 Clough 123/41 14 gauge, is in excess of a predetermined magnitude so as to re- 3292v427 12/1966 Manson 123/4115 X lieve the pressure of the radiator and thereby prevent injury to 1583396 5/1926 Defmnh "220/44 a person subsequently opening or removing the radiator cap 1,801,229 4/1931 Er1ckson..... 123/41.14 X on the radiator 1,906,072 4/1933 Lumsden ..123/41.27 1,985,198 12/1934 Williams 123/4154 X 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Patented April 4, 1972 I N VENTOR.

RADIATOR CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND'OF THE INVENTION Generally speaking, the present invention is directed toward an automobile radiator having means thereon adapted to facilitate draining or emptying the contents or coolant of the radiator, and means for selectively relieving the internal pressure thereof preparatory to opening the radiator cap so that the person who is desirous of inspecting the contents of the radiator will not be scalded, burned or otherwise injured by the egress of hot water, steam or the like when the radiator cap is opened. More particularly, the present invention is directed toward an automobile radiator having a drain outlet provided in the lower end thereof, which outlet is connected to the lower end of an elongated, relatively flexible conduit, the upper end of which is normally detachably secured adjacent the radiator by suitable bracket means and is provided with a manually actuatable pet cock valve or the like. At such time as it is desired to drain the contents from the radiator, the upper end of the aforesaid conduit is detached from the bracket and the conduit is deformed or bent to a configuration so that said upper end thereof is directed toward a suitable receptacle, such that upon opening of the valve, the radiator contents are communicated via the conduit into the receptacle. This procedure obviates a number of highly objectionable problems attendant the draining of conventional automobile radiators, to wit, conventional radiators are provided with a pet cock valve at the lower end thereof which necessitates crawling underneath the car to open the valve or virtually standing on ones head to reach the valve from the upper end of the radiator, Either way, once the valve is opened, the contents of the radiator will indiscriminately run onto the ground unless a suitable receptacle is properly oriented subjacent the valve outlet. Through the provision of the present invention, the conduit may be conveniently directed toward a conventional receptacle which need not necessarily be placed underneath the car. More importantly, however, the drain valve for the radiator is located on the end of the flexible conduit so that said valve may be conveniently opened without requiring crawling underneath the car or reaching downward along the entire length of the radiator from the upper end thereof in order to effect opening and closing of the valve.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel relief valve arrangement provided ad- 1 jacent the upper end of the radiator and particularly associated with one of the conventional water lines or hoses communicating the coolant between the radiator and the cooling system of the associated vehicle. The aforesaid valve arrangement is provided with a visually readable pressure gauge or other suitable means indicating the internal pressure of the radiator, and an elongated flexible conduit is provided which is communicable with one of the aforesaid radiator hoses and is provided with a suitable manually actuatable pet cock valve that may be opened to permit the release of the internal pressure within the radiator, with the flexible character of the hose permitting the outlet end thereof to be directed toward a suitable receptacle so that when the valve is opened, any coolant which may egress from the conduit will be directed toward and into the receptacle. The function of the above described pressure relief arrangement is to permit a person, such as the vehicle operator, to determine the internal pressure of the radiator by reading the pressure gauge, and if the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined amount, the associated valve may be opened to relieve the pressure. When this has been done, the radiator cap may be removed without any worry of the cap being forced or launched upwardly, possibly hitting the operator, with such opening of the relief valve further obviating the possibility of any steam, hot air or coolant being ejected from the' radiator cap opening so as to assure that a person may remove the radiator cap without any possibility of injuring themselves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to automobile radiators and, more particularly, to a new and improved means for draining the coolant from such radiators and for providing for the safe inspection thereof.

It is accordingly a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved automobile radiator construction.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved radiator construction having a relatively flexible conduit connected to a drain opening at the lower end of the radiator, which conduit is provided with manually actuatable valve means, whereby a person can open the valve means and direct the conduit toward the interior of a suitable receptacle so as to conventionally drain the radiator into the receptacle without wasting any of the coolant or other material being removed therefrom.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved radiator construction of the above character which is provided with pressure indicating means, preferably in the form of a pressure gauge, and a relief valve which is adapted to be opened to relieve the internal pressure within the radiator when the pressure in excess of a predetermined volume is indicated on the pressure gauge, so as to minimize to the extreme the possibility of injury when the radiator cap is removed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved radiator construction of the above described type wherein the relief valve means may be associated with a relatively flexible conduit adapted to be directed toward a suitable receptacle for receiving a suitable coolant which may egress when the relief valve is opened. It is a further object of the present invention to provide bracket means for detachably supporting the ends of the flexible conduits at a position where said conduits are easily accessible to the person wanting to drain coolant from the radiator or inspect the interior thereof.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved radiator construction which is of a relatively simple design, is economical to manufacture and easy to assemble.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the new and improved radiator construction embodying the principles of the present invention and shown in operative association with a typical water cooled internal combustion engine, and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the portion of the radiator construction embodying the present invention shown within the circle 2 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawing, a radiator assembly 10, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown in operative association with a conventional internal combustion engine 12 having a suitable carburetor system 14, air cleaner 16, drive transmission 18, and rotatable fan 20. The radiator assembly 10 is located immediately forwardly of the engine 12 and is operatively connected thereto by means of upper and lower radiator hoses or conduits 22 and 24, respectively, whereby cooling fluid, such as water or the like, may be communicated from the radiator via the conduit 22 to the cooling system of the engine 12 and be returned to the radiator assembly 10 through the conduit 24, as is well known in the art.

The radiator assembly 10 of the present invention generally comprises vertically disposed radiator unit 26 which may be of any one of a number of well known constructions, and may,

for example, be fabricated of a multiplicity of cooling fins or the like adapted for heat transfer relation with internal cooling fluid passages, conduits or the like which, together with the radiator hoses 22, 24 and the internal water circulating passages (not shown) in the engine 12, constitute a closed cooling system. The radiator unit 26 is provided with a suitable opening on the upper end thereof that is normally closed by a conventional radiator cap 28 which may, for example, be secured to the radiator unit 26 via a suitable bayonet locking arrangement, as is well known in the art.

In accordance with one of the principles of the present invention, the radiator assembly is provided with a new and improved means for effecting draining of the radiator unit 26 so as to simplify to the extreme, the effort required, for example, to flush the unit 26 or for any other reason remove the contents, i.e., coolant, therefrom. Such means is provided in the form of an elongated flexible hose or conduit, generally designated 30, the lower end of which is communicable with the interior of the radiator unit 26 through a suitable fluid fitting means 32 located at the lower end of the unit 26 on the rearward side thereof, for example, in the location in which conventional radiators are provided with a standard drain pet cock valve or the like. The conduit 30 extends upwardly from the fitting 32 and is provided on the upper end thereof with a suitable manually actuatable valve mechanism 34 having a rotatable or other type of handle 36 and defining a discharge opening or nozzle 38. As will be apparent, the handle 36 is normally disposed in a position closing the mechanism 34, but is movable to an open position whereby to permit the contents of the radiator unit 26 to be removed or drained therefrom via the conduit 30.

The length of the conduit 30 is designed such that it may be easily deformed or bent to a configuration wherein the discharge nozzle 38 may be directed toward and into the interior of a suitable receptacle, representatively designated by the numeral 40, so that the contents of the radiator unit 26 may be drained into the receptacle 40 and thereby salvage the coolant, as well as any antifreeze or any other substance contained within the radiator unit 26. Preferably, suitable bracket means such as a hook-like bracket or the like 42 is mounted adjacent the upper end of the radiator unit 26, such as upon the side edge of the unit 26, or upon any suitable portion of the associated vehicle chassis, wheel housing, frame or the like. With this arrangement, the upper end of the conduit 30 is readily accessible, and when it is desired to effect draining of the unit 26, the upper end of the conduit 30 is merely detached from the bracket 42 and the conduit 30 is biased from the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 to the phantom line position shown in this Figure wherein the discharge nozzle 38 of the valve mechanism 34 is directed toward the interior of the receptacle 40. After this has been done, the handle 36 may be biased to its respective open position so as to permit the contents of the unit 26 to be discharged through the conduit 30 and valve mechanism 34 into the receptacle 40. After the desired amount of draining of the unit 26 has been completed, the handle 36 may be biased to a closed position and the upper end of the conduit 30 may be again disposed in the solid line position shown in FIG. 1, with the upper end of the conduit 30 being properly secured to the bracket 42 for purposes of storage during transit of the associated vehicle.

With the above arrangement, it will be seen that when it is desired to partially or completely drain the radiator unit 26, it is not necessary to crawl underneath the vehicle in order to obtain access to a conventional drain valve, nor is it necessary to have a person reach downwardly from the top of the radiator unit 26 along the entire length thereof in order to obtain access to the drain valve. Instead, draining of the unit 26 may be effectuated merely by opening the valve mechanism 34 which is disposed in a readily accessible position adjacent the top or upper end of the unit 26. More importantly, however, it will be seen that the contents of the radiator unit 26 may be easily salvaged since the conduit 30 may be directed toward the interior of the receptacle 40. With conventional drain means heretofore known and used on automobile radiators, it was extremely difficult to salvage little if any of the coolant material without extreme difiiculty in providing a suitable receptacle at some preselected position or orientation beneath the radiator.

In accordance with another feature of the present invention the radiator assembly 10 is provided with a new and improved means for relieving the internal pressure of the unit 26 preparatory to removing the radiator cap 28 so as to effectively obviate the possibility of a person being burned by escaping steam, hot coolant, or the like, or from being struck by a radiator cap 28 which, under certain circumstances may be blown" upwardly off from its operative position of the radiator unit 26. Such pressure relief means is provided by a novel pressure relief assembly, generally designated 50, which, by way of example, is operatively associated with the radiator hose 22 communicating the upper end of the unit 26 with the engine 12. As best seen in FIG. 2, the assembly 50 comprises a generally tubular shaped support section 52 having coaxially aligned, rearwardly and forwardly extending end portions 54 and 56 which are communicable with each other via a longitudinally extending internal passage 58 formed in the section 52. The end portions 54, 56 are adapted to be fixedly connected to the radiator hose 22 which, by way of example, may be transversely severed and have the severed ends axially aligned with the end portions 54 and 56, with the result that the interior of the hose 22 is communicable with the interior of the passage 58, as will be apparent. Means in the form of suitable hose clamps or the like 60, 62 may be provided around the outer periphery of the hose 22 and the end portions 54, 56, respectively, whereby to provide a fluid-tight joint or connection between the hose 22 and support section 52.

The assembly 50 is provided with an elongated flexible hose or conduit 66, one end of which is communicable with the interior of the support section 52 via a suitable manually actuatable valve mechanism 68 having an actuating handle 70 and which may be similar in construction and operation to the above described valve mechanism 34. The relief assembly 50 is provided with some type of means for indicating the internal pressure within the cooling system, i.e., within the radiator hose 22, so as to give the vehicle operator a visual indication of the pressure level within a cooling system. Such pressure indicating means is preferably, although not necessarily, provided by a suitable pressure gauge, generally designated 74, having an indicating needle 76 and graduated indicia 78. The pressure gauge 74 may be mounted in any suitable manner upon the support section 52 so as to be capable of sensing the internal pressure within the passage 58. It will be noted, of course, that other pressure indicating means different from the gauge 74 may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

In operation, the conduit 66, which may be mounted in any suitable location to provide for convenient access thereof, such as, for example, upon the bracket 42, is intended to be directed toward a suitable receptacle, such as the receptacle 40, when it is desired to relieve pressure within the cooling system and thereby salvage any coolant that may egress from the end thereof when the valve mechanism 68 is opened. At such time as it is desired to remove the radiator cap 28 from the radiator unit 26, the operator will first note the pressure level on the gauge 74, and if this pressure level exceeds some predetermined magnitude, the valve mechanism 68 is opened through suitable actuation of the handle 70 thereof. When the mechanism 68 is thus opened, the interior of the cooling system will be opened to the atmosphere so that any internal pressure thereof will be relieved. After the pressure has been thus reduced, the valve mechanism 68 may be closed and thereafter the radiator cap 28 may be opened without the danger of any escaping steam, hot coolant, or the like injuring the operator, and without the possibility of the internal pressure of the cooling system blowing the cap 28 upwardly into engagement with the operators head or other part of his body. It will be noted, of course, that if at the time it is desired to inspect the interior of the radiator unit 26, the pressure level within the cooling system is below the aforesaid predetermined level, as indicated by the gauge 74, it would not be necessary to relieve the pressure via the valve mechanism 68, and that the radiator cap could be removed without danger of injury in the conventional manner.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment illustrated herein is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation, and change without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a fluid cooled internal combustion engine having a radiator and hose means extending between and communicating the interior of the radiator with the cooling system of the engine, the improvements which include,

means providing a first fluid discharge opening adjacent the lower end of said radiator means providing a second fluid discharge opening adjacent the upper end of said radiator,

a first elongated relatively flexible conduit having a free end portion and a relatively fixed end portion communicating with said first fluid discharge opening, whereby the conduit may be easily manually deformed to a configuration wherein said free end thereof may be directed toward the interior of a suitable receptacle for communicating at least some of the contents of the radiator into the receptacle,

first valve means on said free end portion of said first conduit and adapted for manual opening and closing movement so as to selectively permit and prevent the contents of the radiator to be communicated through said first conduit into the receptacle,

a second relatively flexible conduit having a free end portion and a relatively fixed end portion communicating with said second discharge opening,

relief valve means communicating with said second conduit and adapted to be selectively opened and closed to relieve the internal pressure in said radiator,

pressure indicating means for sensing and indicating the internal pressure within said radiator, and

bracket means for supporting a portion of said first and second conduits at a position conveniently accessible to a person desirous of draining the radiator or inspecting the quantity or condition of the coolant contained therein.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve means on said first and second conduits comprise manually actuatable pet cock valves, and which includes pressure indicating means for indicating the pressure internally of the radiator. 

1. In combination with a fluid cooled internal combustion engine having a radiator and hose means extending between and communicating the interior of the radiator with the cooling system of the engine, the improvements which include, means providing a first fluid discharge opening adjacent the lower end of said radiator means providing a second fluid discharge opening adjacent the upper end of said radiator, a first elongated relatively flexible conduit having a free end portion and a relatively fixed end portion communicating with said first fluid discharge opening, whereby the conduit may be easily manually deformed to a configuration wherein said free end thereof may be directed toward the interior of a suitable receptacLe for communicating at least some of the contents of the radiator into the receptacle, first valve means on said free end portion of said first conduit and adapted for manual opening and closing movement so as to selectively permit and prevent the contents of the radiator to be communicated through said first conduit into the receptacle, a second relatively flexible conduit having a free end portion and a relatively fixed end portion communicating with said second discharge opening, relief valve means communicating with said second conduit and adapted to be selectively opened and closed to relieve the internal pressure in said radiator, pressure indicating means for sensing and indicating the internal pressure within said radiator, and bracket means for supporting a portion of said first and second conduits at a position conveniently accessible to a person desirous of draining the radiator or inspecting the quantity or condition of the coolant contained therein.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve means on said first and second conduits comprise manually actuatable pet cock valves, and which includes pressure indicating means for indicating the pressure internally of the radiator. 